Inflammatory bowel diseases are a group of chronic inflammatory conditions that primarily affect the colon and small intestine. Inflammatory bowel diseases include, but are not limited to, Crohn's disease (also known as regional enteritis, Crohn's ileitis, and granulomatous colitis), collagenous colitis, granulomatous ileocolitis, idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, ileitis, irritable bowel syndrome, lymphocytic colitis, regional enteritis, spastic colon, and ulcerative colitis. Common symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases include intestinal inflammation (e.g., redness and/or swelling), abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, pelvic muscle spasms, and/or fever. Weight loss, sweats, malaise, and/or arthralgias also may occur. Inflammatory bowel disease symptoms typically wax and wane in intensity over time.
Two of the most common inflammatory bowel diseases are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by inflammation that is primarily limited to the mucosa and submucosa of the colon, or large intestine, and the rectum. Crohn's disease can cause inflammation anywhere throughout the digestive tract, and penetrates deeper into the tissues.
In some cases, bowel inflammation results when the immune system attacks a pathogen, such as a virus or bacterium, or an intraluminal antigen, such as a protein from cow's milk. In other cases, inflammatory bowel disease may be an autoimmune process. Genetic predisposition also may have a role in certain cases.
Inflammatory bowel disease can severely impact a subject's life, and current therapies frequently provide unsatisfactory and insufficient relief.